The present invention relates to a pipe for elevating liquids, and to a device provided therewith.
It is known to elevate liquids in an elevating pipe to a predetermined height under the action of a pressure differential which is smaller than the pressure of an uninterrupted column of liquid with a height equal to the predetermined elevation height. For this purpose portions of liquid in the pipe are in alternating sequence with gas gaps or bubbles. The portions of liquid assume the shape of piston-like bars with side surfaces which coincide with the inner surfaces of the pipe, and with end surfaces formed by films of surface tension on the liquid-gas border or film meniscuses. Such pipes and devices are disclosed, for example, in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 532,699, 556,436, 566,987, 580,540, 597,023, 1,154,745, 1,343,693, 1,741,571, 1,811,295, and U.S. patent application No. 441,740. The disadvantage of the known devices for elevating a liquid is the limitation of the inner diameter of the pipe and of movement speed of elevated liquid portions by such values which guarantee the stability of the formed liquid portion or piston-like bars separated by gas gaps. For example, if the liquid to be elevated is water and the separating gas is air, the stability of the water portion in the pipe of glass can be guaranteed when the inner diameter of the pipe is smaller than 4 mm. The limitation of the inner diameter of the pipe by the value guaranteeing the stability of the formed liquid portions prevents practical utilization of these devices.